Pellet / eating issue

[Luluznewz]

Hey, this is a repost from the "sick rabbit thread". She was pretty sick, not eating / using the bathroom. Lulu is doing both those things not completely fine. She seems healthy.

So now I have a perfectly healthy seeming rabbbit who is just not eating pellets. She eats her hay and vegetables, and drinks water but she wont touch the pellets. Is there any other reason she could be doing this besides gas / GI issues? I feel like I need to start looking for other reasons because she really does need to eat the pellets (for obvious reasons).

Could she just not like them all of a sudden?

 

[tonyshuman]

It could be bad pellets--sometimes if they are moldy the smell does not appeal to them so they don't eat them. They could be a type she's not used to. You just got her, right? Is she on the same pellet as before? You need to do a gradual switch to a different pellet if at all possible (2wks). It could also be a tooth issue, although I doubt it because usually they stop eating hay or veggies first, not pellets.

No references to list here: personal experience on the pellet switch (Tony when I first got him), and a broad generalization about what I've seen for bunnies with tooth issues.

 

[tonyshuman]

Could you fill out the missing info?

- Location: Santa Cruz, CA

- Description (Breed, color., weight): Lionhead/lop mix (?), female, black and white, weight?

- Age: 1yr (how long have you had her?)

- spayed/neutered?: spayed?

- Notes on Fecal and Urinary Output
- are the bunny's poops and pees normal?
- When did they last use their litterbox?
- Any unusual behavior? : not eating pellets--eats hay and veggies though

- Medical History -- has s/he been to the vet or been sick before?

- Diet - what does your bunny eat?
- when and what did s/he eat last?

- movement - any unusual movements? Is s/he hopping normally?

- are there any plants, chocolate or other substances within reach?

- has the rabbit been outdoors?

 

[Luluznewz]

ould you fill out the missing info?

- Location: Santa Cruz, CA

- Description (Breed, color., weight): Lionhead/lop mix (?), female, black and white, weight?

- Age: 1yr (how long have you had her?)

- spayed/neutered?: spayed?

- Notes on Fecal and Urinary Output
- are the bunny's poops and pees normal?: yes
- When did they last use their litterbox?: its full, normal activity
- Any unusual behavior? : not eating pellets--eats hay and veggies though

- Medical History -- has s/he been to the vet or been sick before?: yes, see sick bunny thread

- Diet - what does your bunny eat?
- when and what did s/he eat last?: eating everything but pellets normally

- movement - any unusual movements? Is s/he hopping normally?: yes everything seems normal

- are there any plants, chocolate or other substances within reach? : no

- has the rabbit been outdoors?: no


Anyway, I dont think its that she isn't used to the pellets because she seemed fine with them before. Could she have eaten them for a week then got sick because of them, then decided she wont eat them anymore?

 

[tonyshuman]

Bunnies don't usually do that. I haven't heard of a bunny ever stopping liking its pellets, although it is common for some dogs and cats to stop liking their food just because they're tired of it. There's usually a reason. What kind of pellets are we talking about? Is it a new bag?

 

[l.lai]

Ive read this before, you can try switching between brands as they may not like a particular brand you bought!

 

[Luluznewz]

I got the bag about two weeks ago, the same time I got the rabbit. She was on something different I would assume, but I didnt know what it was. The brand is Mazuri. I think there might be some issues with it, but it was the highest in fiber and lowest in fat that my petstore had.

Is there anything I should be doing? I could try different pellets but that seems strange. I guess i'm wondering if her not eating pellets is for sure a sign that shes not well, or if it could be something easily solved.

 

[tonyshuman]

Well, if she ate them before, it doesn't make a lot of sense that she'd stop liking them. :?

 

[Luluznewz]

So what should I do?

It seems extreme to take an otherwise perfectly healthy rabbit to the vet.

Should I stop feeding her the greens to get her to eat the pellets (but that might result in her NOT eating)?

Or should I just go out and buy new pellets?

 

[Maureen Las]

I have found that a rabbit who has a GI problem (even if it is still resolving) often will not eat one food or another.
because your rabbit both is new and also is recovering there is no way to know if this is due to the pellets or or your rabbit not being 100%

Iwould buy another brand of pellets and try to give your rabbit a very small amount of another brand.
Are theMazuri pelletstimothy pellets or alfalfa. ?
If they are timothy then she probably was getting alfalfa which tastes better to them.

Your rabbit could be both not feeling 100% and also not particularly liking the pellets.

usually a rabbit with a dental issue will leave hay and not pellets but there is the remote chance there could be a dental issue but at this pointI believe that it would be best to try a different pellet to see what happens and also watch her carefully for any reoccurence of the GI issues.

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

I would stop feeding the pellets for like 2 days and just feed hay and veggies, which buns thrive on anyway. I know, ours have always loved pellets, but best to wait and see what is going on here. It sounds like they're bad. I'd halt feeding them for now, get some new and see if they eat them, if they do, then pitch the other ones for sure.

Keep us posted on this!

 

[mardigraskisses]

My boyfriend's bun is going through the same thing right now. Perfectly healthy, eating hay, but just doesn't want the pellets. :?

 

[Luluznewz]

So shes eating the new ones. There must have been something wrong with her old pellets. I feel really bad; i'm pretty sure thats what made her sick now...Well at least shes better and eating the new pellets. The new ones are better for her anyway, I went to a different pet store.

I'm glad she was smart enough to stop eating them!

 

[tonyshuman]

Tony did this to me when I first got him. I bought a terribly unhealthy pellet and it was alfalfa-based, but I didn't know. I gave it to him but he wouldn't eat them; he was used to Timothy. I finally took a closer look at the ingredients and saw it wasn't a Timothy pellet. Sometimes they know it's bad for them!